Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-06-30

Roman candles, though he hadn't the
money to pay for it. The hole in the
glass is Just where the Roman candles
are. He could put his hand into the
box"
By this time the constable whom
Miss Polyphemia was addressing had
seized Barty by the collar, and was
dragging him off to the lookup in
spite of his assertions of innocence.
''That was a pretty bold job for
young rascal like you. but you Plumley-
vile boys are bad lot, specially
along about the Fourth of July. It's
time one of you was made an example
Of
Barty tried to explain that he was
going on an errand for his mother
when Miss Polyphemia saw him run
ming down Aldersey street, but the
constable only said that .he was too
good boy to get no so early as that to
do his mothers errands. and he guessed
it wouldn't hurt him TO have q day or
two in retirement to mediate on the
evils of too early rising"
The lookup was little brxck build
ing on the main street, not far from
Miss Polyphemia's shop. Never had
Barty thought, when he had seen
drunkapds and thieves and fighting
boys carried there, that such fate
could befall him. When he heard the
key turn in the lock, and realized that
he was shut up there alone, his heart
sank down, down, and great lump
came up in his throat which it was very
hard work to swallow, until he remem-
bered that he was the man of his
family, and mustn't be baby, what
ever happened.
At noon the constable came, and put
huge loaf of bread and jug of water
! in at the door; but he would not pay
any attention topoor Barty's assertions
| that he was innocent. IF he was, he
would have chance to prove it when
he was brought before the magistrate, I"
the constable said, ''and he would only
have to wait for that until the day after
the Fourth"
The day after the FOURTH Barty had
a stout heart, but he almost gave way
to despair then. What would his mother
and Jimmy think had be- me of him?
They would probably hear, however.
By this time it was known all over
Plumleyville that he was in the lock-
up. Could he ever obtain a situation
after this? Would not the disgrace
cling to him, even if he were not proven
guilty? One big tear did get as far as
the end of Barty's nose, but he dashed
it scornfully away, and forbade another
one to start And by way of keeping
up his heart. and as being appropriate
to the time. if not exactly to the occa-
sion, Barty whistled Yankee Doodle. -"
In the meantime Miss Polyphemia' 8
nerves had received such shock that,
even after the glazier had repaired her
window, she could not bring herself to
open her shop. Never in the whole
course of her shop-keeping had such an
outrage been perpetrated before, and
the worst of it was that Lord George,
her precious Lord George, was miss
ing. The excitement of the day be-
fore had caused her to forget him when
she locked the house up for the night,
and he was left tied to the backyard
fence. The rope was broken, and he
was gone. and Miss Polyphemia thought
it probable that that dreadful boy who
broke her window had stolen or
poisoned him.
She inserted an advertisement in the
Plumleyville Star, offering liberal re-
| ward for his return, and she posted a
similar notice on a tree in front of her
shop; but they brought no tidings OF
the lost dog.
Late in the afternoon of the Fourth
of July Miss Polyphemia stood at he1
gate and looked anxiously up and down
the street, hoping to catch glimpse OF
Lord George. The stage-driver came
along and stopped when he saw her.
81 heard you'd lost that dog OF
your NJ he remarked, land shouldn'
be surprised if he got hurt consid' BILE
when he broke that glass. 1 happened
to be goin' by when twas done-'bout
half-past four o'clock. Your dog and
that big yeller one that 'blongs to the
new grocer was a-fghtin'. My! want
they a-givin' it to one t'other! Some
how or mother they came crashin' agin
the winder, and 1 guess they both OF
of 'em either got scared or hurt pretty
bad, for the yeller one he sneaked off
home with his tail between his legs,
and your dog he run down the street
howlin' like all possessed"
The stage-driver cracked his whip
and was gone, leaving Miss Polyphemia
speechless with astonishment. AL
though she had prejudices, she did not
mean to be unjust, and her conscience
bitterly reproached her for her haste in
accusing the boy, who was evidently
entirely innocent. And forgetting Lord
George in her great anxiety to right
the wrong of which she was the cause,
she hurried off in search of the consta-
| bic. He was not at home hut she told